PH Navy ship avoids collision after ‘unsafe’ move by Chinese warship

MANILA, Philippines — A Philippine Navy vessel avoided a potential collision with a Chinese warship near Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea on Wednesday after what military officials described as a “dangerous” maneuver by the foreign ship.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command (Wescom) said in a statement on Thursday that the tank landing ship BRP Benguet (LS-507) was conducting a routine maritime operation when it encountered a People’s Liberation Army Navy missile frigate with hull number 532.

The Chinese vessel closed in and passed at a “dangerously close distance,” which the military described as “unsafe and unprofessional.”

“Such dangerous maneuvers are provocative and constitute a clear violation of the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea,” the Wescom said.

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The Philippine ship took “measured and decisive actions” to avoid a collision and prevent the situation from escalating, the statement added. No injuries or damage were reported.

The incident occurred near Pag-asa Island, a Philippine-occupied feature in the Spratly Islands that has long been a flashpoint of tensions between Manila and Beijing. It lies about 528 kilometers west of Palawan.

China, however, claims nearly the entire South China Sea, including these waters, and continues to reject a 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling that invalidated its sweeping claims and upheld Manila’s sovereign rights.

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The Wescom urged the Chinese navy to comply with international maritime rules and norms to prevent similar incidents, emphasizing that Philippine forces would continue to carry out “lawful maritime operations” in the area.

There was no immediate response from Chinese authorities as of posting. /das